Her smile -
by CMSO95
Summary: "Éponine, can you discover who is that girl?" Marius pleaded. Éponine looked at him, her eyes a combination of pain and pride. "I can." She said simply. She almost felt bad for what she was just about to say when she saw Marius's smile at her response. "That doesn't mean I will." / Basically, how I think they would make their relationship work if it happened somehow.
1. Chapter 1

**A few things you should know before reading it: I'm not fluent in english, so this can probably be really bad and have some gigantic grammar mistakes. I tried my best, though.**

**I don't own Les Misérables. If I did, the ones who died would live, and the ones who lived would die, basically.**

**There may have some wrong facts in this. That's what happen when you haven't finished reading the book yet, sorry about that.**

**This can go anywhere. I could turn it into a full history or just a few chapters. Don't know yet. Just saying.**

* * *

"Éponine, can you discover who is that girl?" Marius pleaded, still mesmerized by the girl that just vanished from the street as soon as the inspector appeared. Éponine looked at him, her eyes a combination of pain and pride.

"I can." She said simply. She almost felt bad for what she was just about to say when she saw Marius's smile at her response. "That doesn't mean I will."

"Please, Éponine! I will give you anything!" Marius begged, taking her hand in his. The touch surprised her. They have been friends for quite a while, but they never touched much. Not like this, at least. Éponine felt her willpower melt at his warm touch.

"Well, isn't Monsieur Marius all thrilled now? I wonder what's gotten into you, it's not the first time you see a bourgeois…" Her speech faded as she realized what Marius was doing. He was fishing coins in his pockets to give to her. He wanted to pay her so she would go looking for said bourgeois. "I don't want your money,_ Monsieur_!" She spat, retracting from his touch and turning her back on him. How dared he!

At her harsh tone, Marius suddenly came back from his cloudy thoughts and realized what he had just done. He knew Éponine well enough to know she didn't like being offered money, and less from people she knew and had contact with – not all of them she could call a "friend", though she considered herself Marius's friends and he reciprocated the feeling. Marius knew he offended her, but he was still too far away in thoughts about blonde hair, blushed cheeks and white smile to think of a decent apology for his offense. He took grab of her arm lightly, stopping her from walking any further, and pleaded once again.

"Please, Éponine, discover who that girl is. I promise I will do anything you want, but find her for me,_ please_."

Éponine felt his fingers around her arm and tried to savor the moment for as long as she could. It had been so long since someone touched her with such care or, at least, not trying to hurt her somehow. She liked to enjoy these moments when they happened, trying to keep them in her memory for as long as she could, until she forgot again how it felt to be touched by gentle hands that meant no harm.

Marius heard her faint sigh of defeat. He didn't like to ask her for things like these. She was a friend, not a pigeon messenger, as he always reminded his own friends when they asked him to use her to do an errand. But he was desperate. Never in his life had he felt what he felt when he locked eyes with the blonde girl in the street a few minutes earlier. Éponine turned to him again, avoiding his gaze – not that he was actually trying to keep eye contact, but he realized she was avoiding looking directly at him.

"When I get back, you better have some apples and bread for me to eat, Monsieur. That's my price."

Éponine might like Marius most from all of her friends. She might even have some confused feelings about him, which could or could not be going beyond friendship. But she wasn't one to be fooled. If he was going to treat her as an ordinary street urchin who gets paid to do chores, she was going to be an ordinary street urchin who sets a price for such thing. And she long ago learned that asking for food was a better way to get her stomach full than asking for money itself to go and buy it. Sometimes the money wasn't enough to buy sufficient food to feed her, and since she was already grown up, the amount of people asking her to do chores was only decreasing day by day: people would usually ask the kids, maybe because they were faster, maybe because they weren't as smart as a grown up and wouldn't trick whoever asked to pay a larger amount, or maybe because they had a more sympathetic face. Éponine wouldn't know. What she did know was that she needed to get advantage of people when they asked her to do something, even if the person in question was her closest friend.

Marius nodded, a wide smile appearing again on his face. He wasn't rich, and both knew that. But he wasn't starving either. He could afford a loaf of bread and some apples if he wanted to.

"I will even get you a cinnamon brioche if you find her address for me."

_That_ he couldn't afford so often, but he would make an exception for the circumstance. Marius knew it was wrong what he was doing. He was pretty much buying Éponine's effort to find the address for him, because he knew she wouldn't do it on her own will. But again, he was desperate, and since she already agreed and set a price, he might as well take advantage of that.

"Do you want anything else, Monsieur?" Éponine looked at him defiantly. She was pushing the situation, treating him as just another costumer who asked for a chore. Marius still had his thoughts on the girl, but he wasn't so senseless not to notice her tone.

"There's no need to talk to me like this, Éponine, I already told you. I'm no grander than you. You know I don't like to ask you these things. I don't see you as another street kid that I would pay to go and do a chore for me. I'm asking you to look for her because I know you are the only one who can do that. You are the only one who saw the girl too."

"Yes, _Monsieur_, I know." She wasn't convinced and Marius knew it, but if she didn't leave at the moment, maybe she wouldn't find the girl for him. He let her go on her duty and walked to the café slowly, thinking of everything and nothing at the same time.

As soon as Éponine got out of Marius's sight, she started running, trying to catch up with the pair that left so suddenly and was the cause of Marius's request. She tried to ignore the sharp pain on her bare foot as she kicked a small rock on the ground. Éponine knew where to step habitually, avoiding rocks and other things that could hurt her feet, but now she was too busy trying to discover where the blonde girl and the old man went, to focus on the ground.

After running for a few more minutes, she found them. The man was sitting on a bench, looking startled and worried, and the girl was buying something for them to drink. Éponine sat on the sidewalk, keeping an eye on the girl. Her face went pale when she heard the man calling for the bourgeois. _Cosette_. Éponine thought she misheard it when the man called for her earlier, but now she was sure. How many girls named Cosette could live in that same town? And how many girls named Cosette would have a father sixty years, or even more, older than her? And how many girls named Cosette would be blonde? Éponine was sure that bourgeois was the same girl who lived with her in their young years. Cosette. Éponine let out a cruel laughter. She remembered when Cosette lived with her, back when her parents had the inn in Montfermeil.

Cosette was some sort of servant. She would sweep the floors, wash the plates and fetch water from the well behind the inn. She was dirty; her clothes were too big for her and too old as well. Éponine remembered the old skirt she wore. It was an old skirt of her mother. She gave it to Cosette when the girl grew on her dress. Éponine remembered how she never spoke to Cosette directly. She would ask her mother something, and Mme. Thénardier would send Cosette to do the chore. For almost four years, Cosette lived in the inn. And one day an old man, around his sixties, came and paid for Cosette, taking her away. Éponine remembered how she almost felt bad for the little girl, thinking she was going to be a servant somewhere else.

Two years after Cosette's departure, Éponine's parents ran out of money and had to sell the inn to pay all the debts they had. Éponine was around ten when that happened, and as soon as they sold the inn, they moved to Paris to seek the fortune, as everyone did at the time. But the fortune was nowhere to be found and now they shared a small apartment in the humblest part of the town.

Éponine had two siblings. A young sister called Azelma and a younger brother called Gavroche. Azelma died a year before they moved to Paris. They thought at first she only had a cold, but when she started coughing blood it was already too late to do something, and even if they still had the time, they didn't had the money, so poor Azelma was fated to die nevertheless. Young Gavroche was only a year old when they moved to Paris, and as soon as he learned how to speak and walk, he moved out of the apartment to live on the streets with another kids. He was too free to be restrained by his family, not that they cared much though: Thénardier had his gang and Mme. Thénardier followed her husband everywhere. Their kids were nothing more than lookouts for the law or another member of their gang. Éponine wanted to say that she cared a lot about Gavroche and looked for him even with them not sharing the roof anymore, but she didn't. If she met him at the street, they would talk for a while and then leave just like so. And that was it. She wouldn't worry about him and wouldn't care for his wellbeing, but she wouldn't be happy to know if something really bad happened to him either. After all, she saw him being born and took care of him until he left.

Seeing Cosette made her think about her family and she laughed once more. It was a dry laughter, the kind of laughter that you let out when you have so much inside and don't want to cry, and then you laugh, just so you won't break. It's a cold laughter, an emotionless laughter, coming from someone who had forgotten how to do such thing. The kind of laughter that would make you cry, because you can see how miserable the person actually feels. Éponine thought about how she once had a beautiful dress, white tooth and rosy cheeks like Cosette had now, and how life liked to trick people, switching places after some time. Éponine once knew what was like to have a fine life and not starve. She knew the good things. And at the same time, all Cosette knew was how life could give so much to one, and so little to the other, and she was the other in that history. But a few years later, life played its cards and switched their lives. Now Éponine knew what was like to be dirty and miserable, and Cosette knew what was like to have a fine life. But the tricky thing about the whole situation is that Éponine knew life wasn't going to switch them back and she was stuck with the wretched life, while Cosette, as she saw now, was stuck with the fine life.

"That's what happens when you are mean to other people, I guess…" Éponine muttered, watching the blonde girl hand the old man a cup filled with some sort of cold liquid.

She watched the pair until they got tired of sitting on the bench and speaking, and she followed them when they started to walk towards a calmer part of the town. Éponine tried to remember all the streets they walked, so she could lead Marius there later. After walking for what seemed like twenty minutes, the pair finally stopped in front of a hidden iron gateway. Éponine frowned at the sight. It didn't look like a house at all, at least, not as far as she could see. It looked like a wild, abandoned garden with leaves and branches everywhere. The man took a set of keys and inserted the biggest one in the keyhole of the gateway. It opened with a loud whimper, and Éponine flinched a little at the sound. Everything around was so quiet she was scared they could hear her breathing.

After they passed the gateway and the man locked it again, Éponine waited for a few seconds and walked closer. Between the wild shrubs and branches laid a small house. It looked old and uninhibited, but it must have been looked beautiful and cozy on its glory days. Éponine could see the faded paint on the walls, a sweet shade of salmon, and the brown wood door that looked really old. Éponine saw the man through one of the windows lighting candle lanterns on each side of the room, and she saw Cosette in another room, lighting an oil lamp upon a table. "They must be really rich", Éponine thought, because oil lamps were a very expensive thing, and most people didn't had enough money to buy lanterns, so they would just use bare candles in their homes. After staring at the pair for a couple of minutes, Éponine walked down the street, trying to find its name so she could pass it for Marius. She didn't know how to read properly, but she knew what the letters looked like. She could try and memorize a few of them and let Marius to figure out what was the street's name.

It was already night when Éponine arrived at the café Marius was always at. She climbed the stairs up, distraught by her effort to remember all the letters she saw on the plaque indicating the street name. Marius saw her and smiled, running to meet her before she could even finish the stairs.

"Did you found her?" Éponine raised an eyebrow, not used to seeing her friend so excited.

"I did." She answered simply, sharp and cold. "Did you buy my food?"

"Right this way, mademoiselle." He pointed, waving his arms to show her where to follow. They walked to the back of the café, into a vacant table. Éponine saw two shiny apples, a loaf of bread with butter on it and a cinnamon brioche, all inside a straw basket. Once again she raised her eyebrow. She started to think if he would pay the same price for someone to find her if she got lost someday. He probably wouldn't.

* * *

**Yup, I did a thing.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Once again I apologize for any grammar mistake. I can understand english very well, and I wish I could write that well too. I know my writing must look like a ten year old writing, but I try hahaha**

**I'm not going to update that often. This happened today because I already had this chapter ready hehe**

**And by the way, thank you to everyone who took time to read, to follow and to review! :D It's been quite a while since the last time I had the courage to publish something longer than a chapter (and the last time it happened, it was in portuguese, so it isn't so terrifying as publishing something in a language it's not your natural own)**

**Aaaand I don't own Les Misérables. (I'm kind of glad I don't, actually, because if I did, I would be already dead and I like to live hehe)**

* * *

"So, where does she live?" Éponine sat and started to play with one apple, throwing it up and down slowly. She knew he wouldn't understand where the bourgeois lived if she just explained. She would have to go with him to show. Marius didn't know how to walk in the streets of Paris just yet.

"Do you have a piece of paper where I can write?" Éponine smiled a little at saying this. It sounded so elegant, somehow. Not everyone in that part of the town could say that phrase and mean it.

Marius searched in his pockets and took off a crumpled piece of paper. He then managed to find a quill pen and an inkstand and brought it to the table. Éponine felt uneasy staring at the items. Marius sensed her discomfort and dipped the pen on the ink, then handed it to her. She grabbed it, still uncomfortable. Now she didn't felt as elegant as before. She could barely remember the day her mother taught her how to write her own name.

"Éponine?" Marius called, waiting for the girl to do something else than just stare at the paper and the pen.

"Oh, just a moment, this might take a while…" She murmured, feeling the blood creep to her cheeks in embarrassment. Éponine tried to straighten the paper and began her task to write the words she could remember from the plaque. "Listen, I don't know how to write and you know that. I do know how to write some letters, but I couldn't remember all of them. I can walk you there, though, if you want me to." She then handed him the piece of paper, where he could read "R. E. P. L. E. T." and a raw scrawl of what looked like the number five.

"_Replet_? Is that even a name?" Marius asked, confused by the word. He knew it took Éponine a great effort to remember these letters and put them together, but if he couldn't understand them, what was the use?

"I remember there was another letter in here, but I don't remember which one. And you see, here after this one? The 'E'?" She pointed. "It's where another word begins. I know that before this other "E" there is the same letter your name begins with, but I could not remember how to write it." Éponine felt her face burning again. She hated showing off the lack of education she had, but it was Marius, after all. He wouldn't judge her.

Marius gently took the quill pen out of her hand and tried to rewrite the words. "I'm supposing this one word is 'rue'. That would make sense. Is this what the first word looked like, Éponine?" She checked the paper and nodded, feeling stupid for forgetting such a simple letter as the "u". "And you said there's an 'M' in here… Plmet? That sounds wrong…"

"This letter" She pointed to the 'U' on "rue". "It goes there too." And she then put her finger between the 'L' and the 'M', smearing it with the wet black ink.

"Rue Plumet." Marius read, a smile appearing on his face. "Now_ that_ sounds like something. What is this, Éponine?" He pointed at the scrawl and she frowned.

"I don't know what it is. I don't even know if it is supposed to look like this, I don't know how to draw. There were two of these above the words on the plaque. I thought it might mean something." Marius widened his eyes in surprise.

"Oh. It must be the number of the house. 55. Yes, it looks like a five." Éponine bit her lip, confused.

"I thought numbers were written with letters." Marius set down the piece of paper, unsure of how to explain to her there were two ways of writing numbers. She could barely recognize letters. But she seemed so curious, so eager to learn…

"Well, you can write them with letters. But you can write them as… well, as numbers as well. Each number has a draw, if you may call it like this. Look, this is what a five looks like. This one you drew."

"But you said it is 55. How can it be five?" Marius laughed at her childish question. He felt like he was teaching a six year old, and it looked like so.

"Well, when you put these two fives together, they become a larger number, because we don't have enough drawings to illustrate all the numbers." They both looked at each other for a couple of seconds, Marius waiting for her reaction at his explanation, Éponine trying to understand what the bloody heck did he just said. She murmured an exasperated "whatever" before taking a big bite of the apple in her hand.

"Éponine…" she looked up, swallowing the fruit. "I don't where 55, Rue Plumet is." Marius grinned, showing his well-cared white teeth. Éponine took another bite of the apple, chewing slowly and keeping the eye contact with her friend. "You said you would walk me there, if I wanted. I want you to." Marius added, as he got no response at his first insinuation.

"Not today. It's a long walk and I'm tired." She answered after she swallowed again, this time feeling her throat burn, for she had been without any liquid all day.

"Oh, yes, sure. How far is it, now we are speaking of it?" Marius asked while he poured her some water. For anyone who saw them talking would think of them as both strangers discussing business, but that's how they spoke habitually, and even if he did not showed this very often, Marius was always conscious of Éponine's responses and needs. He could tell when she was hungry, thirsty, tired, in a good and in a bad mood. But he knew her well enough to know that if he tried to offer her some sort of help, she would build another wall in their already walled relationship.

"Now we are speaking of it? For all I can remember, we've been 'speaking of it' ever since I arrived, Marius" Éponine complained in a light tone, smiling kindly when he put the clay cup in front of her. "I would say it's a thirty minute walk from here. Perhaps less, if you know where to turn."

"Quite far, isn't it?" Éponine shrugged, distraught by the feeling of fresh water running through her sore throat. "Does she live in a lovely house?"

"Well, I wouldn't call _that_ lovely. It must have been lovely a few years ago, but now it just look abandoned. But they look like they have money." Éponine added, as if this was enough to clear any doubts he might have about the girl.

"Do they?" Marius asked, not really caring about the subject. The girl could live in a forest for all he cared. He wasn't interest in her money.

"Yes, they have oil lamps and candle lanterns." Marius couldn't help but feel a rush of pity when she told him that. For her, having a candle lantern meant the owner was rich. She lived in such a poverty level where having how to shelter a candle from the wind meant you somehow had more money than she could ever dream of. He looked kindly at her, a smile appearing on his lips.

"You know, 'Ponine, one day you're going to have oil lamps and candle lanterns in your house." Éponine laughed that dry laughter of her, the kind of laughter that gave Marius chills, because he knew she was laughing for the wrong reasons. But then, she looked at him with that look, the one that would always get him confused. It was a mix of tenderness, deep sadness, resignation and something that looked like hope.

Marius didn't knew, but Éponine felt a rush of emotion every time he would say something like this to her. Something that implied she had a good future ahead, because they both had such different visions on what was a good future, and she couldn't help but feel moved when he showed her his vision of it. Somewhere in the depths of her head and heart, she knew that was his way of telling her he cared. And the poor girl had spent so many years with no one to care for her, that a simply phrase as the one he just spoke was enough to make her want to cry.

"Let's hope you are right, Marius. I would love to have an oil lamp that would last the night, this way I wouldn't feel so cold on winter." Marius felt his heart clench. In the life he knew, on winter people would sleep with an extra blanket and the fireplace lighted up. Nobody would suffer from cold on winter on his reality. But he knew people in that part of town would only pray to have enough money to buy extra candles so they could sleep with a candle burning through the night, instead of blowing it off when they went to bed.

"I'm certain it's going to happen someday." He guaranteed, touching her hand affectionately, just to assure her more. Éponine flinched a little at touch, like she always did when someone touched her, but she recovered a second later and grasped Marius's hand firmly, managing to smile a truthful smile this time. Marius squeezed her hand lightly in response at her grasp and both smiled at each other.

These very rare moments were the ones that made Éponine's heart wrench. It was some sort of agony, and she didn't know what to do with that. She would catch her mind wondering what would happen if she leaned across the table and simply kissed Marius on the lips, like she saw so many couples on the streets doing. And although that agony made her head go wild, she would always feel kind of happy: happy that she was able to share a moment like this with her friend; happy that she had a friend to share a moment at all.

* * *

**Oh, just thought you should know, my Marius and Éponine are based on Eddie Redmayne and Samantha Barks. I'm not really sure about Eddie (there is something wrong with his face sometimes, idk, I think maybe it's his mouth), but since I wanted my Éponine to be based on Sam, and I don't actually like the other Marius she has worked with, I thought Eddie would do it :)**

**Thank you for reading! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, I apologize for any grammar or coherence mistakes.**

**I do not own Les Misérables.**

* * *

"Marius, are you going to join in the reunion?" A man asked, coming from nowhere. He ignored the fact that the pair was holding hands, focusing on Marius's face. The student felt his face burn, but he didn't retract from Éponine. He felt how she tried to untwine their hands, but he held her still.

"I am, Feuilly. I will join you in a few minutes."

"Don't take too long. You know Enjolras hates when we are late." Marius nodded and Feuilly left, not even acknowledging Éponine. Marius now grasped Éponine's hand with both his hands, trying to get her to look him in the eyes, for she was avoiding it.

"Éponine… are you _blushing_?" It wasn't his main question, but he just noticed her flushed cheeks. She tried to take her hand back once again, feeling uncomfortable, but Marius kept grasp of it, a smile tempting to appear on his lips. Éponine wasn't one to be embarrassed, and she wasn't one to blush either.

"No…?"

"Why are you blushing? Is it because Feuilly saw us holding hands?" Marius asked in a teasing tone, smiling openly now. Usually Éponine was the teasing part of their friendship, always mocking him for his manners and garments, but Marius enjoyed the rare opportunities where he could tease her as well.

"I don't want you to be associated with me." Marius frowned, not sure as to what that meant. "It's not good for a gentleman like you to be associated with me. People would _judge_ you. I don't want that." She explained in a murmur, her eyes on the now empty cup in front of her.

"They can judge me if they want to. You are my friend, 'Ponine. I don't mind being associated with you. It's a pleasure, to say the least." Éponine looked up and remained in silence for a few seconds before finally untwining their hands.

"You are going to be late for the reunion. You must go. I will meet you outside our building around nine in the morning, so I can walk you to Cosette's house." Marius's eyes widened slightly.

"Her name is Cosette?" Éponine frowned and then remembered she hadn't told him what her name was.

"Yes."

"It's a beautiful name, don't you think?" Éponine shrugged. It was a name like any other name for her. "How did you found out her name? You talked to her?"

"I heard the man with her calling her it. She answered, so I assumed it's her name." Éponine wasn't sure why she didn't spoke of her childhood with the blonde bourgeois. Perhaps because it wouldn't change a thing. Cosette was a different person now, and Éponine was different as well.

"So you didn't talk to her?" Éponine was getting exhausted of the subject. She grabbed the bread, tearing a small piece off, and bit it.

"I didn't know I had to talk to her. You told me to find her address, and I did." Marius saw his friend Enjolras raise from his chair and all the men around him went silent. The reunion was about to begin.

"I must go."

"I already told you that." Éponine pointed, swallowing the bread in her mouth.

"I will meet you tomorrow."

"I know." Marius rose from the chair he was sitting on, flattening his pants as he did so.

"Thank you for what you did today, Éponine." He smiled as he looked down at her. The left side of her mouth lifted in what looked like a smirk.

"You paid me for that. It wasn't a favor. There is no need to thank me." She replied, pleased that he indeed felt the need to thank her after all.

"Thank you, anyway. I really must go. Get home safe."

"Nobody will try to rob a robber, Monsieur. You should take the advice for yourself, though." They shared a last smile and he left to join the group of men. Éponine stayed to finish eating. She ate half of the load and put the other half in the basket, with the apple and the cinnamon brioche. She would save them for the next day.

Marius woke to the sound of grumblings and a stronger voice yelling at someone. He closed his eyes once again, trying to understand what was happening around him. He was at his home. In bed. And that voice yelling was the voice of Thénardier. That brought Marius back to reality and he shot his eyes open, paying attention to what the man was yelling.

"You get up now and go do something in the street! Get some money, food or whatever. Don't show your ugly face in here until night, you hear me? I don't even know why I agreed in keeping you. You are useless. You couldn't even be a whore down the harbor, 'cause you are so damn ugly. Get up and get out. Leave!" Marius sat on his bed, speechless. He knew Thénardier was speaking to Éponine. She was the only other woman living in that apartment besides her mother. And he was sure Thénardier would never try to sell his own wife's body down the harbor, where the prostitutes _worked_. Marius felt a rush of fury inside him. Nobody should say these things to a lady. And nobody should say these things to Éponine. She was good and she had her own beauty hidden behind the dirty, the poverty, the abuse and the old tattered garments. Marius heard the door opening and closing with a thud and he hurried to get dressed so he could meet Éponine to try and comfort her somehow.

"Good morning, Monsieur." She offered with an emotionless voice when he sat at her side on the steps of the building. "It's still early. Did something disturb your sleep?"

"Your father's voice." Marius spoke slowly, unsure of how she would react to it. She raised her eyebrows and nodded, still emotionless.

"I apologize for that. He doesn't speak that loud normally in the morning. I believe he was still drunk from yesterday."

"Does he do that often?"

"I just said he doesn't." Éponine finally looked at him, a bit annoyed by the stupid question. Her patience for stupid questions in the morning was small.

"I meant to know if he talks to you this way often." Marius explained. They gazed at each other for a second and finally Éponine showed some emotion.

"Just when he is drunk. Otherwise, he doesn't talk to me at all." She seemed slightly upset by the fact. He didn't know if it was because of Thénardier treating her like that or not acknowledging her when he was sober. Marius felt another rush of fury. Éponine does not deserve to be treated like that by her own father.

"Does it bother you? The things he says?" A restrict law in their friendship was to never ask too much about Éponine's life. Marius learned that she would only become more and more defensive at his questions, so he stopped asking. That day, though, he felt like pushing his luck a bit.

"Not really. I know he is out of his mind. And I'm glad some of these things are true." Marius yelped, surprised by the last part of her response.

"None of that was true, Éponine! You should know that! You are not ugly and not useless, that's for sure!" Éponine smiled that cold smile of hers, feeling slightly content with the indirect compliments.

"I appreciate your opinion, Marius, but I am glad for being ugly, you know. Otherwise, he would sell me down the harbor, as you well heard through the wall. And if there is anything left for me to keep, is my dignity, and I'm not letting him take it away by doing such thing as selling my body."

"Do you have a looking-glass in your house?" Marius asked after a few seconds of silence. It was Éponine's turn to yelp.

"Do I look like I own a looking-glass, Marius?" She was expecting him to say a lot of things, but that was not on the list.

"Come with me." He said simply, raising up from the step and offering his hand to help her stand up. Éponine wanted to ignore the hand and act like a man, who needed no help to stand up, but she enjoyed these few moments where someone was polite with her and treated her like a lady. She followed Marius back to the building, and he led her to his room. She was slightly fearful of entering the apartment, for she had never been there before.

"Why are we here? I'm confused." She stated simply when he closed the door behind her and led her to the opposite wall. There stood a vermeil framed looking-glass. It wasn't gigantic or too extravagant, but she knew only really wealthy people could afford a looking-glass like that one, especially because of the frame.

"It's beautiful, but I'm still confused, Marius. What does this have to do with everything else?"

"Look at it." She obeyed. And she could see her reflection yelp at the view. Éponine never owned a looking-glass. Her mother did, though, when they lived in Montfermeil. It was an old, broken and frameless glass, but she could still see her reflection through it.

Éponine hadn't seen her own face in a glass for over seven years, and she wasn't sure of what to think now she was facing herself again. Her face was way skinnier than when she was ten. She had a faint scar on her left eyebrow and another small scar on her right cheek, close to her ear. Her skin had a darker shade than Marius's skin, for all the times she walked under the sun without any shelter. Her hair still had the same brown color, but none of the curls it held when she was a child. Now it looked dirty, tangled and insipid. Éponine now understood why people would be afraid of her when she stared at them in the streets. Her eyes held something cold and cruel, somehow defiant, but if you stared long enough, you could see the fear and the sadness she would try to hide every passing day.

"What's the point of this?" She asked after a minute or two, still looking at her reflection. She saw how all of her teeth were still in her mouth, and felt a bit better for it. Marius appeared by her side, and she slightly rose her eyebrows at the view of the two of them, side by side. It was almost comical how different they were.

"You didn't believe me when I told you were not ugly. Now you do?"

"No. You are saying this just because I am your friend and because you feel bad for what my father told me." Marius denied with his head and Éponine smirked.

"You are not ugly, Éponine."

"Then why all man looks for girls that look like Cosette? I may not be ugly, but I'm not pretty, Marius. I appreciate your kindness, but don't try to convince me of something that it's not true. I am not dumb." Éponine finally looked away from the looking-glass. "Thank you for showing me this, though. It's been a long time since the last time I looked at my reflection."

"Éponine…" She looked at him. He was still facing the glass. "You are beautiful to me, if it matters somehow." Marius wished she was still facing the glass too, so she could understand why he said what he said: she smiled truthfully for the first time in days when she heard him. Marius had only seen that smile four times in the almost three years of friendship they had. He felt lucky that all the times she gave him that smile it was because of something he said or did. Marius knew how dark Éponine's life was. And he wished she could see how she became the light itself every time she smiled like this. Perhaps, if she smiled frankly more often, her life wouldn't be so dark.

"It does. Thank you."

And then Éponine did something she thought she never would do. She leaned in and hugged Marius. He widened his eyes as he felt her arms around his back. It took him a heartbeat to return the hug, though. He placed his arms on her slim shoulders, and smiled a little as he felt her rushed heartbeat. His heart was beating fast as well. It was the first time they touched like this. After a few seconds hugging, Marius lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. Why he did that, he didn't know. But it felt so natural he didn't put too much thought on it.

Éponine felt her breath stuck in her throat as he kissed her head. She wanted to cry. She wanted to cry because she was slightly upset about the things her father told her earlier. She wanted to cry because she could not recall the last time she received a hug or was hugged back. She wanted to cry because no one ever kissed her in the head with so much care as Marius did. She wanted to cry because she was confused and scared about what she felt for Marius. She wanted to cry because she couldn't allow herself to feel what she was feeling, because it was wrong and it was impossible. She wanted to cry because even if it was wrong, it felt so right to do what she did. She wanted to cry because now she crossed a line and she knew her relationship with Marius would change from now on, either for the better, either for the worse, but it would change for good. And she wanted to cry because she was feeling happy, and that feeling scared her, because it never lasted for long and always left her feeling empty after it was gone.

But she didn't cried.

* * *

**Thank you for taking your time to read, follow, favorite and review. It means a lot to me, to know that until now I'm not embarrassing myself by publishing this :)**

**The next chapter will probably take some time to come out, because it's quite laborious to write in another language and not turn it into a mess, and I still need to think about where I'm taking this whole thing. I'll try to be quick, though.**

_And for the girl who reviewed in portuguese: Entendi tudo que tu falou muahahaha e muito obrigada pela review :) sei como é a falta de fanfics do nosso otp (e as que tem, a maioria é de qualidade duvidosa), mas fazer o quê né haha Pelo visto a maioria agora shippa E/É e só escrevem sobre eles :/ é a vida, acontece. Mais uma vez, obrigada por ter tirado um tempinho pra comentar._


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Les Misérables, but this is what would happen if I did.**

* * *

"You know, 'Ponine, you have the perfect size for a perfect hug." Marius said when they parted. She felt her cheeks burn at the statement, not sure how to take it. Marius smiled, sensing her discomfort. "There is no need to blush. I'm sorry if I made you feel embarrassed. It's just… I enjoyed hugging you. You fit in my arms, it feels right." Éponine gazed at him. She knew Marius was a caring person. He would always hug his friends goodbye or just rest his arm on a friend's shoulder. But he never would say something like that to a friend, she was sure about that. And even though she wasn't used to it and was finding it quite strange, she liked it. A lot.

"It feels right to be hugged by you, too, Marius." She murmured, still not sure how to talk about these things. She couldn't remember the last time someone else told her something so kind. Marius smiled. He knew, too, that their friendship had just changed from now on, and he was happy about it. He felt closer to Éponine than ever.

"Have you had breakfast already?" Marius knew she hadn't, but he was polite enough to give her a chance to refuse his future invitation. Éponine was now observing the apartment. She found it comical how they both lived in the same building, side by side, and yet their homes looked so different. Even though Marius wasn't as rich as he was when he lived with his grandfather, he still earned more money than her family altogether, so his apartment had way more furniture than hers, and was way more cleaner as well. "'Ponine?"

"Yes?" She was distraught by the amount of books on his desk, but looked up when he called her.

"Have you had breakfast already?" He asked again and this time she was paying attention.

"Oh… no, I haven't. Why? Do you want to go Cosette's house now?" Marius wasn't even thinking about going to Cosette's house. He had forgotten with all the fuss that had happened a couple of minutes ago.

"No, it's still too early. She's probably still asleep. I was asking because I haven't either, so I thought we could eat together." Éponine's eyes widened at the invitation. She knew things had changed between them, but she wasn't expecting the changes to happen so fast.

"Well… we can… let me just…" She didn't finish the sentence, as she was already out of the apartment and searching for something on the corridor's wall. Marius watched her from inside the room, a confused look on his face. Apparently, Éponine found what she was looking for: a hidden drawer at the bottom of the wall. Marius frowned, for he never knew that hidden place existed. If not for Éponine, he would have died without knowing there was a cabinet in there. Éponine grabbed something inside the drawer and closed it. It was the straw basket Marius gave her the night before, with the half loaf of bread, the apple and cinnamon brioche.

"That is where you hide your food?" Marius asked once she was again inside the apartment.

"Yes, among other important things." Éponine set down the basket on the table and motioned for Marius to grab something.

"What kind of things? Wait, do you like coffee, 'Ponine?" Marius checked the cupboard and found he still had enough coffee powder to make them some. Éponine wrinkled her nose. She couldn't remember the last time she drank something else besides water.

"Yes… I guess."

"You guess? You're not sure if you like coffee?" Marius looked at her, confused. Éponine shrugged and started playing with the apple in the basket.

"It's been a while since the last time I drank coffee, Monsieur."

"Oh… well… what kind of things do you keep in that drawer?" Marius started heating the water to make the coffee, his back turned to Éponine. He heard her sighing.

"Important things."

"You already said that."

"Then why are you asking again?" Éponine smiled. She loved having these mischievous moments with Marius. Principally when she was the one putting him on check.

"Because I want to know what things do you keep in there?" Marius leaned on the counter, waiting for an answer.

"Things like an old doll that belonged to my sister; a chemise that belonged to my brother; a hat of mine, from when I was a kid…" Her voice faded away and Marius knew there was something she was keeping for herself. He was unsure if he should push her for an answer.

"I never knew you had a sister. Where is she?" Marius turned his back on Éponine to check on the water boiling, so he didn't saw her slight frown when he asked.

"Not here, that's for certain. She died a year before we moved from Montfermeil. Her name was Azelma." Marius turned so fast he almost dropped hot water on himself.

"I'm sorry I asked. That was rude of me. I'm sorry, Éponine." His face made her smirk, for he seemed sadder than her about her sister's death.

"You didn't know. And I don't care about it anymore. It's been a long time."

"But she was your sister…"

"Well, she's not any longer. Why grieve over it? She's not here to hear me anyway." In times like this, Marius remembered how dark Éponine's life was. He remembered why she wouldn't smile as often as ordinary people would and why she wouldn't cry either.

Life had made her numb most part of time. And in the middle of this numbness, life had made her unafraid and perhaps a bit insane. When Éponine had a rush of emotions, she would get mad. She would mumble things, laugh that cruel and cold laughter of hers, ignore whatever happened around her and walk around the streets with a demented look on her eyes. Marius had only seen her like that once, when her father first tried to get her down the harbor. She spent an entire day with that mad look, and when Marius asked what had happened, she explained and laughed insanely for a long time. Marius felt scared of her that day. Scared of the things she heard and saw to make her act that way. Scared of how far life pushed her, to make her break down like that. And scared of how far life could still push her until she became perpetually insane.

"If she doesn't matter anymore, then why do you keep her doll?" Marius knew now he was pushing his look too much. He was trying to make her talk about her past before the poverty and he regretted the question, even though he wanted to know her more. Éponine glared at him for a while, before moving her eyes to the kettle on his hand.

"The water is going to cool off." She said simply, but her voice wasn't emotionless as the many other times where Marius tried to get her to talk of her past and failed. Her voice sounded unnatural, though she tried to keep the lack of emotion.

"Oh, well, right. Do you want coffee or no?" Marius opened the cupboard to find the clay mugs he owned.

"Yes." Éponine now stared at the basket in front of her. She felt overwhelmed by all the sudden questions and all the remembrances they brought.

She was confused by the memories of her sister. Éponine didn't know if it was right or wrong to not feel sad about her departure years ago. She didn't know what kind of person the lack of caring for her gone sister made her. She didn't wanted to be a bad person because she didn't missed Azelma. But Éponine knew that if she permitted herself to care about the deceased girl, she would feel things that would make her grieve. And she had enough of grieving. She didn't know if she could feel that pain for too long before breaking, because she was already broken.

"Éponine?"

"Yes?" She looked up, distraught by her thoughts. Marius feared she would be back to the mad-like looks.

"The coffee is ready. The mug is in front of you." Now she realized he had handed her the mug. Éponine smelled the coffee. It smelt great. It made her feel somehow warm inside. Marius sat in front of her at the table and grabbed the half loaf of bread, cutting it in another half and handing one to Éponine.

"Bon appétit." He smiled before biting his bread. Éponine brought her lips to the warm mug and tasted the coffee. It burned her tongue because it was hot and she wasn't used to drinking hot liquid. But it had the same taste it had when she was a kid. Marius had a curious look on his face, waiting for her response. "Do you like it?"

"It burned my mouth, way too hot. But it's good. It tastes good." She replied, a faint smile playing on her lips, and drank another sip; enjoying the warm feeling she got inside her whilst drinking it.

They ate in silence. Marius still worried about her sanity and Éponine lost in thoughts about right and wrong. When they finished, Éponine rose from the chair, unsure of what to do. She could offer to wash the tableware, but she didn't know if it was rude to do such thing whilst being a guest.

"Do you want to go to Cosette's house now?" She asked, not wanting to be on that apartment anymore. It was too quiet and she didn't like the fact that silence only made her thoughts louder.

"Oh, sure. I believe she must be awake by now." Marius clumsily rose from the chair, waiting for Éponine to take the lead. She left without looking back to see if he was following. Marius locked the apartment and hurried to reach his friend. "'Ponine?"

"Yes?" They were now walking almost side by side. Marius kept himself half step behind, in case she needed to turn on his side, so she wouldn't collide with him.

"I am sorry for pushing you earlier. I shouldn't be asking those questions. I hope you are not mad at me." Éponine eyed him guardedly, unsure of why he would think that.

"There is no need to apologize, Monsieur. You had not pushed me and I'm not mad at you. How could I?" She asked the last question with a caring tone. Marius smiled, relieved to see that she looked almost customary now.

"Thank you."

They walked for a long time in silence, not feeling the need to talk. That was one of the reasons why Marius relished Éponine's company so much. They could stay silent for a long time without feeling uncomfortable about it, or feeling the need to fill the silence with unnecessary talk. Marius's mother always told him to select his friends based on what their moments of silence felt like, instead of what their moments of conversation felt like. There was something so true about being in silence with someone. It had something so vulnerable about it. And Éponine was the only one so far that made Marius comfortable whilst being silent with her.

"Marius?" He looked at her with a kind smile, as if telling her to keep talking. "I hope you are paying attention to the trail. I can't walk you here every day." Éponine noticed he seemed as distraught as her in their walk. The problem about it is that she knew where she was going and how to come back home. Marius didn't.

"What if I don't come back here regularly?" He provoked, a grin dancing on his face.

"Still. I don't plan on coming back here every time you decide you want to come." Éponine stated, turning on a corner and making sure to knock into his shoulder slightly as she did it.

"What if I don't ever come back?

"Then I will make you pay for waking me up early today for nothing." Marius laughed at this, stealing a small smile from Éponine at doing so.

"What if she's not a lovely lady? I'm not going to keep visiting just because you woke up early today to bring me here." Marius teased, but he wasn't so certain anymore about visiting the girl. After all, they had just shared a glance and he _had_ seen more beautiful girls than her around the town.

"I can assure you she looks like a lovely lady and acts like one. I heard her talking to the man yesterday. She sounded educated and submissive. Just like a mademoiselle should be like."

"Who is this man, anyway? What if he is her husband?" Éponine denied with her head, wanting to explain who she thought the man was, but then she would have to dig the past and she had enough of digging it for the day.

"He looks too old to be her partner. I would risk he is like sixty or seventy, and she looks about my age. Maybe it's her father." Marius sighed, run out of excuses not to meet the girl. He wasn't so thrilled now and Éponine seemed to notice it. "Do you want to go back? You don't look so enthusiastic anymore. You don't look enthusiastic at all. What happened?"

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about how precipitated I am. I wanted you to find the girl just because she was easy to the eyes, but never really thought about what I intended to do if I actually had the chance to speak to her." Éponine raised her eyebrows, confused.

"Well, you are going to talk to her, you two will become acquaintances, and then you are surely faded to fall in love with each other, espouse, and have children…" Marius denied with his head promptly, a frown on his face.

"That's what I'm talking about. I don't think I want to get married right now."

"I'm sure you two can work the dates out. But maybe her father will want you to marry as soon as possible." Éponine muttered. She didn't know why, but she wasn't happy talking about Marius marrying.

"What if I don't even want to marry her and get myself forced to it just because I went to visit? Let's go back!" Éponine laughed a muffled laugh at his desperation. She would do anything to get married already and leave the life she had known for so long.

"Don't be such a crybaby, Marius. If you don't like her, you just don't ever come back. I highly doubt her father will force you two into marriage just because you talked to her once. And why don't you want to marry now? It should be a good thing to have a spouse at such a young age. You could have a fine life if you got married now." Marius sighed and smiled kindly at Éponine.

"Oh, 'Ponine, if only you knew how having a fine life isn't that good…" Éponine yelped, surprised. How could he say such thing?!

"How isn't it that good? I would do anything to have a fine life, Marius! To have a bed to sleep in, to have blankets to cover me in the night, to have shoes and dresses and hats, to be able to take a bath everyday and to have my hair combed and clean. To have food to spare and not to starve! I would do anything to not dread each passing day with the threat of my father over my head. You _rich_ people disgust me sometimes. You have it all and still are ungrateful for it, always wanting more, always being unsatisfied by all the things you already have! If you knew how it is to live a life like mine, you wouldn't say such thing and would be happy with the idea of meeting maybe your future spouse today!" Éponine spat. She never talked to Marius like this before and he was taken aback by her outburst. They stood still in silence for a few seconds, Éponine regaining her breath after her vigorous speech, Marius thinking of what to say.

"I know this is what happiness seems like to you, Éponine," he began slowly, afraid she might burst again, "but it's not all about what material things you own. You could live in a palace, surrounded by servants, with all the food and gold in the world, and still be unhappy because you don't have the most important thing."

"And what is this?" She snarled, still flushed with anger.

"Love." Éponine cackled and Marius flinched at the sound. It was the laughter that would hunt his dreams. The laughter of someone who had been too abused to believe that such thing as love could change anything. "Don't laugh at me like this. You could not understand, but I wish I could make you somehow. Having an oil lamp to light your nights and a loaf of bread to eat every morning means nothing if you are alone, Éponine. It sounds rubbish, but I don't see any point in having all these things if I don't have someone to share it with me. I'm not ungrateful for having what I have, but I would trade these things anytime if I could only have the certain that I will have a good life with someone by my side. It doesn't even need to be a lover. It could be a friend. But knowing I'm not alone is better than having any money."

Éponine lowered her eyes, feeling them burn with uncalled tears, as she realized she had none of it. She had no money. She had no love. She had no friend that would be by her side in the future if they had the chance not to. She had nothing. So she wondered why she still wanted to live, if what Marius said was true. And she realized that even if Marius could slip through her fingers when he found a lover or maybe even grew tired of her, she wouldn't leave him. She would be the friend by his side along the way.

"You're right." She murmured, frustrated by how weak her voice sounded. Éponine felt Marius arms around her and flinched a bit. She wasn't used to being touched like that. But when she felt his warm hand caressing her head, and his chin resting on the top of her head, she thought that she could get used to that. Éponine hugged his torso, her hands resting on his back, and she hid her face on his shoulder. They stood like that for a moment before Marius parted enough to keep eye contact.

"Will you let me be the friend that will be with you by your side and show you there are many important things than money?" He asked in a murmur, realizing how close their faces were. Éponine didn't seemed embarrassed by the closeness, maybe because she didn't understood it was something so intimate to do. She nodded, still feeling her eyes sting.

"Will you let me be yours?"

"You already are, 'Ponine." They shared a gentle smile and Marius squeezed her kindly before letting her go completely.

* * *

**Sorry about the wait, but as I said, it takes some time to write it all down and try to make it not look like trash. I appreciate all the reviews, the follows and the favorites, thank you all for reading! :)**

**p.s.: Sorry for any grammar, spelling or structure mistake.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Les Misérables.**

* * *

"Do you still want to go?" She asked before they returned the walk. Marius breathed and nodded.

"Maybe you're right, too. Maybe it's a good thing for me find a spouse now." Éponine nodded, the joyful feeling of what had just happened between her and Marius fading away.

They walked for a couple of minutes more, and just when Marius started complaining about how far Cosette lived and if they were still in Paris, Éponine hushed him and pointed to an old wall.

"What about the wall?"

"It's her house."

"She lives in a wall?" Éponine grunted, annoyed by his sluggishness.

"She lives behind the wall, Marius. There, you see the gateway?" Marius frowned. He wasn't expecting a palace, for what Éponine told him the day before, but he wasn't expecting it to be _that_ bad.

"This place looks about to fall down in any minute. Why would she live in here?" He asked quietly. He wasn't one to care about money, but it confused him. Cosette looked like she had a good life. Why would she live in this horrible place, hidden from the rest of the society?

"Maybe they are hiding? Maybe they like quiet places? Who am I to know?" Éponine shrugged, not caring much about the subject. "Are going to call for her or no?"

"Yes… I just… what am I going to say, 'Ponine? I have never done this before. I have no idea how to flirt with a girl." Éponine raised her eyebrows, a smirk playing on her lips.

"You can do it just fine. Go and talk to her, I'm sure it's going to work."

"What is going to work?" Marius felt he spent way too much time feeling confused when he was around Éponine. It seemed like she understood so many things he didn't.

"Your charm, Marius. You can flirt with a girl, even if you don't realize it."

"How do you know it?!" He was frantic. Éponine felt trapped. She wasn't going to admit he had worked his charm with her. Not when he was about to meet his maybe future wife.

"Just go, Marius. I'm going to leave now."

"Oi! You're not leaving! How am I supposed to get back home?" Éponine freed her arm, for Marius had caught hold of it.

"I told you to pay attention to trail!" She complained. Marius just sighed and combed his hair with his fingers. Éponine was about to complain some more when she realized there was a shadow in the gateway. She saw slender, small fingers holding the iron. It was Cosette. "Go now, Marius." She hissed and pointed to the gateway with her head. Marius turned around and he remembered why all the fuss he had made because of the girl.

"You will wait for me in here?" He wasn't so mesmerized now, though, to forget about his friend. Éponine sighed and nodded with her head, walking back to find a hiding place to wait. She wasn't going to watch the pair.

Marius combed his hair once more with his fingers and tried not to panic because he had no idea of what he was going to say. He walked slowly towards the gateway and saw the hand holding it disappear.

"Cosette?" He called quietly and stopped in front of the gateway. He could see her shadow a few steps away.

"How do you know my name?" Her voice was pure, exempted of the guttural roughness he was used to hear coming from women who dealt with lack of water or the excess of alcohol. It reminded Marius of his mother's voice.

"I heard your father calling you yesterday. Do you remember me?" Marius wasn't so obtuse to tell Cosette he asked for someone to find her for him. It could give her the wrong signals, and he didn't want that. Cosette appeared on the gateway and Marius smiled without realizing it. She was indeed easy to the eyes.

"I do. How did you found me? You followed me?" But she seemed pleased. Marius wondered if she had seen Éponine.

"A friend of mine saw you walking around and told me. I thought it would be polite to visit." That sounded ridiculous to his own ears, but it was better than the actual truth. Cosette smiled kindly.

"I wish I could open the gateway, but I don't own the key and my father is not here." Marius nodded, smiling too.

"There is no problem. At least we can talk at all now."

"I think I missed your name, Monsieur." She asked politely, the faint smile still on her lips. She looked like the kind of person that would smile for everything, just out of costume.

"I'm Marius Pontmercy, mademoiselle." He slightly bowed, making her smile grow. Marius found it was easy to smile around her, for she did it herself all the time. He got used to the restrained smiles of the people he saw every day. Cosette smiled at ease, like it was natural to smile at every single thing she said, did or happened around her.

"It is a beautiful name, Monsieur."

"You can call me Marius. There is no need for formalities." Cosette nodded. Marius felt uneasy at the silence. He was afraid of saying something wrong, for she looked like a high-class person.

"Do you live in there? Where we met yesterday?" She asked out of curiosity.

"I do, indeed. Is it bad?" Cosette denied fervently, almost in a childlike way.

"Oh, no. I just wondered. You look like someone who would live in a castle." Marius chuckled at the statement. He wasn't filthy as most of the people that lived near him, but he wasn't precisely immaculate at the exact moment.

"Well, thank you, I guess. You look like you would live in a castle as well." He frowned as soon as he spoke, not sure if it was the right thing to say to a lady. He got used to talking to Éponine, and he treated her as any other male friend he had. There were no gender detachments in their friendship.

"Oh, I know this house doesn't look pretty right now, but we have just moved in. I'm certain in no time it will look like the lovely house it once was. Father will make sure of it." Marius felt his face burn, afraid he had just offended the girl.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to say it isn't a lovely house. It is. But it is so far away from the city and so hidden…" His voice faded in embarrassment. He didn't know it was so hard to talk to an authentic bourgeois. Cosette laughed a juvenile laugh. She was so petite and delicate, and her voice was so pure and innocent, Marius felt he was somehow corrupting her by just speaking to her.

"Do not worry, Marius. You had not offended me." They shared a smile. Marius could already feel his cheeks hurt because he was smiling too much, but it was a good kind of pain. The pair talked for endless minutes, giving Éponine the time to sit on a corner, rest her back on the wall and sleep lightly, her head hanging on her shoulder.

"I should leave now, Cosette." Marius uncomfortably said when they stopped their conversation. He knew Éponine was waiting, but he couldn't bring himself to leave, for he didn't know how to say goodbye in a proper way, but now it was near luncheon time and he was tired of smiling so much.

"Will you visit again, Marius? I would love it if you could."

"I will try, mademoiselle. I can't assure you, but I will try." Cosette nodded and smiled, pleased with his effort.

"I will wait." Marius tried not to frown at the declaration, but nodded and bowed.

"Goodbye, Cosette."

"Goodbye, my dear." Marius forced a smile at the treatment. They spoke for a few minutes and she was calling him "dear" already? He didn't like it. Marius turned and walked to where he left Éponine, feeling his heart wretch when he saw her sleeping figure on the ground.

"Éponine?" He touched her arm lightly, trying not to frighten her, with no success though, because her eyes shot open and she shrieked, moving away from his touch. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"What…? Oh." She fell silent when she realized where she was. She was not at home. It wasn't her father waking her up violently.

"Do you feel alright?"

"I was just startled." She rose to her feet, sweeping the dirt out of her hands. Marius pushed his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry it took me so long. I had no idea how to part without sounding rude." Éponine eyed him cautiously. He looked tranquil, but he did not have the dreamy look on his eyes.

"Did you enjoy the talk?" She motioned for them to start walking. It was a long walk back. Marius shrugged, gaining a raised eyebrow from his friend.

"She _is_ a nice lady."

"What else?" Marius shrugged again and Éponine grunted, frustrated. "You spent all this time talking to her just to realize she is a nice lady?"

"I already told you why I haven't left earlier."

"What is wrong with her? Why didn't you like her?"

"I'm not certain. She is nice; I'm not lying about it. And she smiles a lot and made me smile a lot."

"But?" Éponine thought Marius would enjoy being in the company of someone who smiles a lot. He used to complain about her lack of smiles when they first met, and he himself would always smile to everything and everyone.

"Well, she smiles too much. My cheeks hurt from smiling that much. And she's just… I don't know… she's too unreachable."

"Unreachable? She doesn't live_ that_ far, Marius. And I thought you liked people that smiles a lot." Now it was her turn to be confused by everything he said. He wasn't making any sense. Marius shrugged again. It was starting to annoy Éponine.

"I do, but she smiles _too much_. And by too much I mean all the time. I don't think I have seen another expression in her face all the time we talked. She would just have that smile pinned on her face."

"And why is she unreachable?"

"There is something so… innocent about her. She is so pure and naïve… I couldn't feel comfortable whilst talking to her, I felt like every word was wrong."

"You are making no sense, Marius. Why would you feel wrong talking to her? You were in the same stratum as her a few years ago. And as you always remind me, you are no grander than me; I'm certain she is no grander than you either."

"It's not about stratum… – where did you even got this word from? – It's just… I don't know, 'Ponine. It didn't felt right. She is a nice lady and I'm certain we could be friends, but I can't think of her as a wife and feel right about it." Éponine smiled to her insides. Marius felt right hugging her earlier, yet he didn't felt right about the bourgeois. Something about this fact made her humor light up, though she couldn't quite understand what and why.

"Are you visiting again anytime soon?" She asked, eyeing him. Again he shrugged, but now she didn't mind.

"I don't think so. You see, she is not a bad person at all. But I think she got the wrong idea about my visit."

"How come?"

"She called me 'my dear' when I was about to leave. And she said she would love it if I could visit her again." Éponine smirked. She felt sorry for Cosette, though. She indeed looked like a good person, but she too looked like she knew nothing about life – or, to say the least, about men. Not that Éponine knew much about men either, but she wasn't so innocent.

"It sounds like she in fact misunderstood your intentions." Marius sighed. He prayed that Cosette wouldn't talk to her father about him. For what she told him, her father was a little overprotective, and the last thing Marius needed now was someone's father looking out for him.

"I'm too used to you, 'Ponine. You don't misunderstand what I say and you are easy to talk to. I don't think I'm ever feeling comfortable again with a lady after knowing you. The image I have in my head of what a relationship with a lady should be is now distorted by the image I have of you."

Éponine nudged him teasingly on his ribs. But she knew that what he said wasn't true, for she was now misunderstanding what he told her. It pleased her to know that he would look for a relationship similar to theirs when he went after a spouse, and maybe – just maybe – it made her think that he could think of her as an option whilst looking for a woman to marry, and not just as a mold for the relationship he wanted.

* * *

**I apologize for any mistakes. It's almost 5 a.m. and I have just finished writing and I don't feel like revising it hehehe**

**I'm back in college from vacations, so it's going to be hard to write as often as I did before, but I will try. Maybe the chapters will get shorter, I don't know.**

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing. I would thank every person in particular, but I'm too lazy for it, sorry heheh and I just don't know what to say besides "thank you", I would just embarrass myself if I tried.**

**Hope you have a great day :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Les Misérables.**

* * *

"Éponine?"

"Yes?" She looked up from the table. She was counting coins.

"I think Cosette is following me." Marius sat in front of his friend. It had been almost two months since the day he visited Cosette. He did not visit again, but Cosette seemed to find him anywhere. They would not talk, but she would look at him with a sweet smile on her lips and sometimes beckon, when her father was not looking.

"How come?" Éponine was back to counting her coins. She did an errand earlier that day and earned a few francs from an old madam.

"She is everywhere! She lives almost out of the town and yet comes down here every single day."

"Maybe her father brings her down here. He likes to give money to the mendicants." Éponine mumbled, distraught by her duty. She knew how to count, but it would always take some substantial time until she had a result. Marius sighed.

"What are you doing?"

"Counting?" But she was frustrated. She couldn't remember how many sous she needed to have a franc.

"Need some help?" Their friendship had indeed changed a lot since that one singular day. Marius now felt comfortable in offering her help and Éponine every now and then would accept it.

"You can do this faster than I can… go ahead." She handed him the coins and watched as he counted them in seconds.

"You have five francs and a sou. What did you do? Carried that woman in your shoulders to her house?" Marius teased. He had seen the madam when she asked for the errand, and she was… well… one could say she had food to spare in her house.

"Don't be mean. She wanted me to move some furniture upstairs." Marius scowled.

"Why she asked you? Why didn't she ask a man to do it? That is not a thing for a _lady_ to do!" Éponine raised her eyebrows, slightly offended.

"You don't think I could move furniture?"

"Sometimes I wonder how can you be so strong with such tiny arms, but that is not the point. The point is: this is not something a lady should do."

"Well, Monsieur, not all of us can choose errands based on such thing as this." Her voice had a tone of mockery, but she wasn't angry. "And she paid all of this. I'm not complaining."

"But still… if you were to live with me, I would never let you do things like that." Marius said that out of innocence, but Éponine felt her heart beat somehow faster at this statement.

"That is a really kind thing to say, thank you." She collected the coins from the table and dropped them in her pocket. Marius started playing with an empty clay cup in front of him.

"What are you going to do with this money?"

"Save it."

"What for?" Marius looked up, a curious look on his eyes.

"To go away one day? To buy new garments when I need them? To be able to buy food if I go back to starving? To buy medicine if someday I go ill? I don't know. Whatever comes first."

"Go away? You intend to leave someday?" He felt slightly desperate with her idea. Éponine was his closest friend. She gazed at him, wondering about his tone.

"You want me to live in that apartment forever? I don't know about you, Marius, but I don't want to be here all my life. I want to live as far of my father as I can."

"So you won't be leaving for England or something like that, will you?" Marius was confused about the relief he felt. He had been feeling quite protective of his friend, but he wasn't certain about the reasons he did so. Perhaps it was because now they knew each other better than before.

"I'm not a dreamer, Monsieur." Éponine let out an unemotional chuckle. "I can only think about so far. I don't think I will ever be able to leave Paris. But I certainly think about leaving _this_ part of town."

"Perhaps I can come with you when you do so." Éponine looked up, confused. She knew sometimes she misunderstood whatever Marius told her, but this was too much. She wasn't mishearing him. He offered himself to go live with her one day. What could that possibly mean?

"Perhaps. If you want to." She said cautiously, not sure of how to react. Marius beamed, content with her response.

"Marius, will you join the reunion?" Again Feuilly was the one to interrupt them. The difference was that now Éponine knew who he was.

"Do you think 'Ponine can come too, my friend?" Feuilly bowed his head to said girl, acknowledging her presence and turned his face to Marius.

"Enjolras didn't mind the last time she did. I don't think he will mind again. There are other women around, after all." The man turned around to leave and left the pair alone. Marius smiled at Éponine, who had her eyebrows slightly raised.

"Will you join the reunion?" Marius tried to imitate his friend, but since he used a high voice to do so, all Éponine did was chuckle inaudibly.

"I don't think I can stay through the whole thing, but I will."

"Why not?"

"My father. He told me not to come home late tonight. He needs me for something." Marius bit his lower lip, a frown forming on his face. He knew what Thénardier needed Éponine for. She knew it too.

"Why do you still help him?"

"It's not that bad…"

"Éponine, you almost got caught the last time. What if you get caught this time?"

"I know my way around, Marius. I don't need you to worry about me." She snarled. If she could avoid it, she wouldn't steal from people. But if she had to do so, Éponine learned how to not feel bad about it. They would always steal from people who had too much anyway. It wasn't like they would notice a few missing things and coins. She knew, though, deep inside, that it was wrong. But she was so used to stealing that she couldn't see it as something bad anymore.

"Éponine…" Marius hated to see that look on her eyes. The way she would somehow defend what her father did when he said those things to her. But Marius couldn't judge her for it. He didn't understand why she did those things, but he couldn't judge her for doing so. He never knew what misery was; never knew at what lengths people would go to have something to eat. But he had a pretty good idea of that since he knew Éponine. How could he judge her for stealing when it was all she had left?

"What?"

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to anger you." Éponine sighed and touched Marius's hand with her fingers.

"I know our friendship have changed in the past couple of weeks, Marius, but I don't want you to care about my business. Not this one, at least. Stay out of this, you hear me?" Marius nodded, feeling like a small child receiving a lecture. Éponine retrieved her hand and rose from the chair. "Shall we join the reunion?"

"Yes. After you, mademoiselle." He tried to joke, now feeling despondent. Éponine noticed it, but there was nothing she could do about it. Marius would never understand this part of her life.

* * *

"Marius?"

"Yes?" He murmured; his eyes locked in the man speaking in front of him. Enjolras would get very angry if he was somehow interrupted by another person's voice.

"I must go." Éponine murmured back, her eyes following the leader's figure as he walked around the room.

"I will walk you…"

"No!" She hissed, daring to look at Marius to warn him. "You don't want to be there right now. Stay in here for as long as you can."

"Éponine, it's dangerous…"

"It's not when you are the reason why it is dangerous in first place." She smirked lightly, sort of enjoying the fact that she was shielded from the danger because she _was_ the danger.

"Right. I always forget you are a robber." He snarled; his eyes back to Enjolras. Éponine smirked again and leaned to put her hand on his arm.

"And I dare to say, one of the bests around." As she leaned back, she handed him a piece of paper she clutched from his pocket without him noticing. Marius frowned. He didn't like when Éponine acted like that, somehow proud of what she was going to do.

"Just leave then." He muttered, irritated by her actions and grabbing the paper in her hand.

"Don't be mad at me, Monsieur. We all must stay alive." Once more she touched his arm, and then she rose from her chair and left the café. Marius crossed his arms, still irritated by his friend. He didn't realize he had his finger trailing the spot where she touched him twice.

* * *

Éponine would never admit that to anyone but herself, but she rather enjoyed the thrill of robbing. It was always a moment where she felt alive. The rush of adrenaline that the fear of being caught brought to her body would always make her smile to her insides. The fear made her know that she still had something to live for, even if she couldn't realize what it was at the moment.

"Éponine! Where is that dirty little thing?" She could hear her father screaming just as she stepped inside their apartment.

"There she is, Monsieur." Madame Thénardier pointed in a mocking voice. "Speak of the devil and he doth appear."

"Where were you, useless thing? I told you I needed you tonight!" Éponine looked at him expressionlessly. Long ago she learned that the best would be not to talk back.

"She is here now, Monsieur. Let's end this already." Madame Thénardier spoke in a tired tone. She would always help her husband in whatever robbery he would be involved, but it was late and she had a long day to just stay inside discussing Éponine's delay.

"You, girl, you're going in tonight." Thénardier pointed to Éponine and she raised her eyebrows. She was really good at pickpocketing and watching out for the law, but her father never really let her go inside a house to rob. She already felt the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"Why is she going inside?" Inquired Claquesous. He was one of the ones who would be going inside too, alongside with Babet.

"We need a small one to go and open the door. There will be people sleeping in the house, we need to be quiet." Thénardier snarled. He turned to face Éponine, who was walking a bit behind with her mother. "You heard it, little brat. You're going inside to open the door and then leave."

"Yes, father." She nodded quietly. Her mother glared at her.

"You don't look starving." She pointed. Éponine frowned.

"And…?" She was afraid her mother would think of it as talk back. Madame Thénardier looked at her with a suspicious glare.

"Where are you getting the food?"

"I ran an errand today. The woman gave me a franc, so I bought some bread." Éponine was an excellent liar, to say the least.

"And you didn't think about sharing it?" Éponine laughed viciously. Share it? With her parents?

"Why should I? You never share any food with me." Madame Thénardier looked slightly angry now.

"You live in our apartment. The minimum you should do is share your food while we share our roof with you, little devil." She snarled and Éponine furrowed her eyes at her mother.

"I already ate it; it's late for that advice."

"You don't want us as your enemies, Éponine." Madame Thénardier warned. "You better start getting us some return or else you will be on the streets."

"Yes, madam." But Éponine wasn't thinking about getting her parents any return. As they arrived at the house they would be invading, Éponine realized it was the house of one of Marius's friends.

"This is the place?" Madame Thénardier asked when she saw that her husband had stopped.

"You see that window over there, Éponine?" He pointed and the girl nodded. "You go in there and enter the house. Find the door and unlock it. And then get out. If you make any noise or wake up whoever is in there, you're going to scream tonight, you hear me?" He grabbed her arm and pushed her to the window. Éponine observed the frame for a second before opening the glass and pushing herself inside.

The house was quiet. Éponine wondered if the student lived with someone else. She walked deliberately through the shadows, grateful that the moonlight lightened enough so she could see the furniture in front of her. Once she opened the door to let the two men inside, her father told her to walk around the street to look out if anyone walked by.

Walking alone from one side to the other, Éponine let herself reflect about what Marius would think of her when he discovered what she did, because he certainly would discover. She was certain his friend would announce the day after his house had been robbed. Éponine didn't felt remorseful about what she did. It wasn't _her_ friend after all. But she knew Marius would be hard on her the next day, and the last thing Éponine needed now was her only friend being mad at her.

"We are leaving, you despicable thing." Éponine heard her father shout. She quickly walked back to the house, only to find out they were already on their way. She hurried to pull alongside with them.

"Make yourself useful and carry this." Madame Thénardier roared, thrusting a box in Éponine's hands.

"What is this?" It was heavy and Éponine faltered a little, not expecting all the heaviness.

"Mind your own business, girl." Babet bit, as he was walking closer to the women. Éponine shook the box a bit and heard a metallic sound coming from it. It was a jewel box.

As soon as they arrived in the building, Babet snatched the box from Éponine's hands and her father told her to leave until they had hidden all the things they stole. Éponine sat on the step outside the building, her eyes following the trail of the ants on the ground. After a couple of minutes, she heard the sound of footsteps. Looking up from her trivial activity, she recognized Marius.

"Goodnight, Monsieur." She bowed slightly as she rose from the step to free his way. Marius frowned at her. He couldn't recall the last time she bowed at him as a sign of respect and not in a mocking way.

"Why are you bowing?"

"Monsieur?" She muttered in a confused tone, her head still low. Marius sighed and placed his hand on her jawbone, raising her head up.

"Éponine, why are you doing this? Is it because I treated you coldly earlier? I'm not mad at you; there is no need to do this."

"I apologize." She said, avoiding his gaze. She was not apologizing for bowing, though. She was apologizing for robbing his friend's house, but Marius didn't know it.

"What are you doing outside, anyway? It's late."

"My father told me to stay away." Marius looked up at the stairs, wondering why the man would order her to do such thing. He then looked back at the standing girl beside him.

"It's too cold for you to be here. Come." Éponine frowned, but followed him as he started climbing the stairs. When he opened the door of his apartment and gestured for her to get inside, she denied with her head, walking back a few steps. "What is wrong?"

"I can't. I don't want to disturb your sleep." Marius smiled for the first time since he met her again.

"You won't disturb me, 'Ponine. Come inside." She sighed, but obeyed.

* * *

**Thank you for reading :)**

**I apologize for any mistake. Most part of this chapter I wrote in a sleepy state heheh**


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Les Misérables.**

* * *

Éponine kept her eyes open the entire night. She couldn't sleep even if she wanted to. She wanted to feel comfortable in the mattress she was laying in, but she couldn't. She was so used to sleep in the ground, with only a thin blanket to serve as bad, that sleeping in an actual mattress made her feel uncomfortable.

In the other side of the room, Marius slept peacefully in the sofa. Éponine spent the entire night observing him. She was aware that this was an erroneous and disturbing thing to do. She wouldn't like to sleep under someone's gaze. But it was Marius, after all.

"Where is that stupid brat?" She overheard through the wall. It was her father. Éponine stared at the ceiling, trying to concentrate on the voices.

"You sent her away, Monsieur." Madame Thénardier spoke. Her voice sounded sleepy and tired.

"I did? Oh… well… but she should be waiting outside! Where the hell did she go?" Éponine bit her lips, praying that her father wouldn't think of Marius whilst trying to find her. She didn't believe in God – her life wouldn't allow her to, as it only showed her why He didn't existed –, but for Marius's sake, she prayed nonetheless.

"She probably found a backstreet to sleep in, Monsieur. She will be back tomorrow." Thénardier seemed convinced by it, for he stopped talking and Éponine couldn't hear anything more. She gazed back to Marius, wondering how he could have a peaceful sleep having them as neighbors.

Éponine didn't realize she had spent the entire night awake until she saw Marius's eyes opening lightly. He rubbed his face, a frown marking his forehead. He was confused at first, but seemed to remember something and then, he looked at her. She hadn't moved an inch since she had lain down.

"Good morning, 'Ponine. Have I slept too much?" He sat on the sofa, throwing his arms up to stretch. Éponine sat on the mattress, feeling her backbone hurt.

"No, monsieur. It's still early in the morning." Marius rose from the sofa and moved slowly to the toilet so he could wash away the sleep on his face. Éponine grumbled slightly as she rose from the mattress as well, feeling her backbone rigid and sore.

"Did you sleep well?" Marius asked as he dried his face with a hand towel. Éponine had started folding the blanket Marius had slept with, and twisted her mouth about the answer. Would it be rude to say she hasn't slept at all?

"Not quite well, but yes." She didn't felt bad for lying to Marius. It wasn't the first time and she was certain it wouldn't be the last. Marius walked towards the 'kitchen' – if he could call the space that, for he had no walls to divide the room – and began to look for something. Éponine stood still beside the sofa, unsure of what to do. She didn't want to stay for whatever Marius was planning to do. She felt her body ache, she felt thirsty and hungry, and she felt wicked for robbing his friend's house the night before after spending hours gazing at Marius.

"Why not? What disturbed your sleep?"

"The mattress." Marius looked up, confused. His mattress was not the greatest one in the world, but he thought it was quite comfortable, considering it did not have a bed base. And he knew where Éponine slept every night.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's comfortable." At this, he stopped searching to properly look at the girl standing. That was the most unexpected answer he received so far.

"You did not sleep well because the mattress is comfortable? I'm not certain I am understanding, Éponine." She smiled delicately. Had Marius not been looking straight at her, he wouldn't catch the faint smile she gave.

"I'm not used to comfortable things, Marius. I have been sleeping on the ground for the past six years, if not seven or more. My body got used to the hard ground, and suddenly I find myself sleeping in a real mattress, with a clean and thick blanket, and a soft pillow under my head. Just as it is uncomfortable for you to sleep on the ground, it is uncomfortable for me to sleep on a mattress."

"That is rather strange, but I think I understand your point." He went back to searching for whatever it was and Éponine kicked her bare heels on the ground.

"I should leave, Marius." He looked up again at this, surprised.

"_Why_ should you?" None of them was expecting this question, and both felt confused about it. Éponine was not sure about how to take it, and Marius was not sure about why he asked it in first place.

"You need to go to school, Monsieur." She wanted to ask why she should _stay_, but she sensed it would only bring more embarrassment to both of them, so she let it go. Marius nodded, as if only now he remembered he had a routine to go through.

"I do, indeed." Éponine moved slowly towards the doors at this, unsure of how to behave. She couldn't recall the last time she felt so uneasy. Marius's voice called her back. "You could stay for breakfast, though."

"I couldn't, Marius. I have some things I must do. I appreciate the offer, although. Enjoy your meal."

She was gone before he could think of another pretext for her to stay. Marius was confused about why he was looking for reasons for her to stay, and Éponine was even more confused about why he was doing so. She was getting fatigued of feeling confused around him when it was just the two of them.

By the time he arrived at the university, Marius had already stopped thinking about Éponine, but retrieved the thoughts when he found his friend Grantaire. He was on a long rant about what he found when he arrived at his house the past night.

"They took everything, those bastards! If the damned furniture wasn't so heavy, I'm sure they would have taken these too!"

"Who took what?" Grantaire nodded as to acknowledge Marius's presence, and sighed as he explained the situation.

"Some bastards broke into my house last night while I was at the café. They left the house bare! They even took the food!" Marius frowned, thinking about his only female friend. He didn't have to even think twice before putting evidences together. Éponine had just robbed his friend's house and he let her spend the night on his own apartment. But what made Marius frown wasn't the robbing situation. Was the fact that Éponine had not told him about it. And for that, he was disappointed.

* * *

**I apologize for the late update. I have been sick for the past week (I'm still sick, but feeling better) and wasn't feeling inspired to write. And I apologize for the short chapter, but I thought it would be better to update this rather than nothing.**

**Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following. It means a lot to know someone enjoys what I write, I really appreciate that :)**

**Sorry for any mistakes. I swear one day I'm gonna take some English classes to learn how to write properly hahaha**


	8. Chapter 8

**I still don't own Les Misérables. Shame on me.**

* * *

Éponine spent the entire day down the Seine. It was a fairly long walk from where she lived, and it was dangerous to be so close to the edge as she had been, but it was the only way she knew she could get herself cleaned every now and then. The girl sighed as she clutched her hair, trying to dry it out – or, at least, make it stop dripping. She enjoyed the feeling of being clean. She knew she needed way more than just water to get her truly unpolluted, but it helped already.

Once her hair had stopped dripping, she fetched her skirt that had been lying on the grass. She had washed it and let it out to dry. Her blouse had previously dried, so she was already wearing it. After she had all of her garments on – even though the skirt was still a little humid –, Éponine dragged herself to move back home. She was delaying it, however. She knew by now Marius probably had informed about the robbing on his friend's house, and she wasn't sure she wanted to face him yet. But she was so used to walk as if she was running from something – which she usually was – that she couldn't bring herself to walk slower, and too soon she could see the streets she wandered every day.

"Éponine." She heard a voice calling her from a side street. Her head turned, looking for whoever called. She raised her brows in acknowledge when she was the petite shadow.

"Gavroche."

"It's been a while."

"It has, indeed." She nodded; her face blank. The little lad stepped forward, a smirk on his dirty face.

"You look… clean." After a moment of hesitation, the boy decided for saying this. Éponine nodded again.

"I sort of had a bath today."

"Oh, what a luxury!" Éponine wasn't sure about his age, but he couldn't be older than ten. However, she knew that he had lived way more than people twice his age. "If you keep it like this, soon you will be living with the wealthy people."

"I would not mind that." She knew he was mocking her, but she was being sincere.

"You wouldn't mind joining those well clothed women, spending your day walking around with a lacy umbrella on your hand and a big bonnet on your head? I thought you were better than that, my sister." Éponine snorted, a bit surprised by his reaction.

"Why blame the ones whose parents worked hard to have money? I would not mind joining them at all. I'm certain that if you could, you would give a better place to live to all of those urchins who live with you, wouldn't you?" Gavroche shrugged. He didn't like to be wrong.

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

"You still live with them?" And by 'them', he meant their parents, but he never acknowledged them as so.

"I do." Gavroche smirked again. He sort of liked Éponine. He had faint memories of him playing with her when he was younger, and when he first moved out of the apartment they shared, Éponine would often help him find something to eat. That had stopped when he learned how to live by himself, but he still remembered how she would often help him nonetheless back then.

"I never understood why you do so."

"I have never understood it either." She shrugged. She had thought about it when he left them. She thought about running away as well, but she had a feeling Thénardier wouldn't make it so easy for her.

"You could leave them and live like me, you know."

"I could." She stated. And it was true, she could. What she could not was to be sure if her father wouldn't come looking for her after a while.

"So why you don't?"

"I don't think I could survive doing what you do, Gavroche. I'm not a child anymore."

"Neither am I, Éponine. Do you think I'm a child?" The boy demanded, slightly annoyed, which made Éponine give a faint mischievous smile.

"I'm still nine years older than you, Gavroche."

"And who was the first of us to leave that rubbish house to try and have a better life?" Her faint smile vanished at this and Éponine felt uncomfortable. Gavroche was just a child indeed; no matter how older he claimed to be. Éponine had some of her notions about life twisted, true, but she was certain that a child should not be saying those things – or being aware of them, for that matter.

"Why are we talking about this, anyway?" She evaded sharply. Gavroche smiled, relishing the feeling of being right.

"Don't know. I've always wondered that."

"Keep on wondering, then. I must go now." Éponine didn't feel like she had anything else to talk to him and the child thought so as well.

"Do you have any money?" He asked when she was about to leave. Éponine turned, a brow raised.

"I do." She sniggered ever so lightly when he offered her his empty palm, expecting for the money. "I didn't say I was going to give it to you."

"Why not?"

"Because it's my money." Gavroche snorted; his palm still open.

"Care to share? One hand washes the other?"

"I don't see you washing my hand much." Éponine replied, finding the situation peculiarly amusing. "To be honest, I don't see you washing my hand at all."

"Don't be egoistic, Éponine. As you so wisely pointed, I'm still a kid. Besides, why not share something isn't even yours?"

"I earned that money, Gavroche. It's not stolen."

"It isn't? Now I'm surprised."

"Goodbye, Gavroche." She turned again to leave and smiled impishly when she felt his fingers lightly entering her pocket. She grabbed his wrist with so much strength her fingers turned white, making him jolt in astonishment. He couldn't recall the last time someone caught him pickpocketing.

"What…? How…?"

"You were too young to remember, _brother_, but I'm certain you ever wondered how you learned how to pickpocket. And I'm certain you remember what I told you the day I taught you: _don't try to rob a robber_."

"Let me go." He squinted, trying to free his wrist with his other hand. It was true. He didn't remember who taught him how to rob, but he indeed remembered the phrase she just recited.

"You better watch out which pockets you're putting your hands into, young boy." She warned, freeing him. Gavroche glared at her, his ego hurting more than his wrist. "I hope you remember what else I told you that day."

"Goodbye, Éponine." He snarled, avoiding her elusive question. When she was long gone, he rubbed his wrist, muttering things under his breath, but one single phrase was discernible. "'I'm not always going to be there to save you' I had stopped expecting you to do it a long time ago, _sister_."

* * *

When Éponine reached her street, she had almost forgotten why she was dreading to come home – her encounter with Gavroche distraught her from it –, but when she saw Marius walking a few steps in front of her, heading to same building, she remembered. She groaned, silently expecting him to not turn back, so she could enter the building after him without him noticing her. She wasn't so lucky, nonetheless.

"Éponine." He breathed when he turned slightly to look back on his way and found her a few steps away.

"Bonsoir, Monsieur." She greeted courteously, aware of his tone of voice.

"Haven't seen you around today."

"I haven't been around today." She stated evasively. Marius slowed down his step so he could walk along her. His face was blank and his voice was cold. Éponine wanted to feel embarrassed, ashamed, but all she could feel was numb.

"Éponine…" Marius started, but the girl sighed and interrupted him.

"I am not apologizing, Marius. This has nothing to do with you."

"I don't expect you to apologize."

"Then what do you want?" She had stopped walking and was now facing his back. Marius rubbed his face with his hand and turned to face his friend.

"I want to know why I didn't tell me. And why it had to be my friend's house."

"I don't know what you know about this all, but I'm not the one who picked the house, Monsieur. And why should I tell you? Again, this has nothing to do with you."

"Can we talk about this in my apartment?" Éponine frowned, confused about the invitation.

"Why?"

"I don't want to discuss it here in the middle of the street. And it's dark already. Can we?"

"I… Yes." She followed him, still confused, a frown marking her forehead. He didn't seem so cold now, but rather disappointed. Once they entered the building, Marius lightly grabbed her arm, guiding her upstairs, since it was dark in the stairway. Éponine felt a faint smile crept into her face at his gentle touch.

"Why do you do this?"

"Do what, Marius?"

"Help your father rob people." She glared at him, unsure of what he was implying.

"Because I have to, Marius."

"Why?"

"What am I supposed to do?! Let him beat the life out of me because I refused to help? My life might be a living hell, Marius, but I don't want to die just yet." Éponine snapped, frustrated. Marius knew Thénardier often would beat his friend, but none of them ever acknowledged the fact in their talks. It was a forbidden subject.

"He beats you when you refuse to help?"

"That is why I don't refuse anymore. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Marius denied with his head, stunned. Éponine sighed, her shoulders falling down in a sign of defeat. She was about to speak again when Marius walked forward and, without thinking twice, kissed her on the lips.

* * *

**Again, I apologize for the late update. University is taking a lot of my time lately and I'm still sort of sick.**

**I know it's a short chapter, but I think the ending made it worth it hahaha :)**

**Thank you for taking your time to read! It's crazy to know there is people across the world that reads this thing, and I appreciate that a lot :)**

**Anyway, sorry for any mistake. I'm too lazy to revise it all hehe Hope you all have a nice day!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Les Misérables.**

* * *

Éponine felt her eyes widening in astonishment. Marius had his hands on her shoulders, holding her in place; his lips motionless on hers and his eyes were closed. She stared at his eyelids, her head reeling. 'What is happening?' she thought, trying to establish her wild thoughts. When she was about to move her hands in order to withdraw herself from Marius, he himself took a step behind, opening his eyes.

"What the bloody hell?" Was all she could manage to speak as her eyes locked with his. Marius looked just as scared as she did, which only made her confusion grow.

"I… what?" He muffled, hearing his heartbeat on his own ears. He wasn't certain if he was about to explode or to faint. Perhaps both.

"Did you just…" Éponine shook her head, her eyes still wide open. "Did you just kiss me? What was that, Marius?"

"I don't know."

"How can you not know?! You were the one who did it!" She tried to sound angry at his astonishment. He shouldn't be like that. _She_ should. He had no right to. He was supposed to know what he was doing. But all she could feel was confused. Frantic. Flabbergasted. Marius seemed as disturbed as she did, though.

"I don't know… it was an impulse, I guess."

"I'm hoping you don't have this kind of impulse with all of your friends." Éponine murmured, making Marius titter nervously.

"I have never had such impulse before." She shifted, uncomfortable with the meaning of this statement, but her eyes still diving into his.

"Not even with Cosette?"

"I am actually hiding from Cosette. Why would I want to kiss her?"

"Why would you want to kiss me?" Both fell silent at her question. Marius finally looked past her eyes, feeling his face warm with embarrassment.

"I don't know. I just did." He whispered after a while. Éponine nodded, acknowledging his answer.

"Fair enough. I might just ask you to think carefully before doing such thing again. I am not a prostitute, nor am I exempted of feelings, Marius." She warned, her voice quivering. It was the first time she ever admitted she could feel at all, and Marius knew that, for he looked astonished again.

"I don't see you as a prostitute, Éponine." He slowly lifted his hand so it would rest on her shoulder again. "And I don't think you are exempted of feelings, either."

"Then I ask you to not do these things as if you are the only one that feels something when you do them." Marius knew this was her limit and he couldn't push her to truly explain what she meant with it all.

"I'm deeply sorry, Éponine. I didn't mean for you to feel like this."

"I didn't. And I'm not sorry." She smiled mischievously as her eyes lit up. Marius could count on his fingers the times he saw a smile that reached her eyes, and once again he was pleased to know he was there to witness it. "But I'd rather expect it not to happen again. You may not know the reasons why you did… this… but the last thing I need right now is to spend my days wondering _why_."

"What do you mean?" He couldn't help but feel confused at this. They were sounding like two demented people with all the subliminal inferences. Éponine tugged at her skirt, uneasy. She herself wasn't certain of what she meant by that.

Evidently she had come to the conclusion that she sort of fell in love with Marius, but she wasn't sure of _how much_ in love she was, and if it was love after all. She had long ago accepted the fact that she couldn't either receive or give love in any way. She was not made for it. She did not deserve it. How could a person who did so wrong in life be worth receiving love, or feeling it, for that matter? Éponine had done so wrong in the past years she knew she had no right to feel such a pure thing as love. Life had tricked her again, because somehow, she did. She felt love – or what she thought was love. She had found a piece of her that was still immaculate enough to feel such thing. And she felt bad for it, because she shouldn't have those things inside of her. But again, there was ever a time where love was fair?

The girl was helpless. She felt things she didn't want to. Éponine didn't want to smile when Marius smiled at her. She didn't want to have the urge of hugging him every time he pretended to be offended when she mocked him. She didn't want to feel the need to soothe the frown on his forehead when he looked confused. And for sure she didn't want to feel the burning desire that consumed her sometimes, when she wanted to kiss his lips fiercely and know what they tasted like. But deep inside, Éponine knew it was wrong to feel all those things. It was wrong because she was not allowed to feel that way. Her life did not allow her. Her beliefs did not allow her. Her reflection on the looking glass all those days behind, did not allow her. Because Éponine was poor. Éponine was ugly. Éponine was a robber. Éponine was a sinner. She was dirty. She was illiterate. She was brutish. She was a street urchin that deserved nothing but pity and revulsion.

"I don't know." She murmured, after all. Marius sighed. He knew he couldn't push her to admit whatever she was feeling. But he wasn't so blind to not realize she felt _something_. And if that _something_ of hers matched with this _something_ of his, maybe he wouldn't feel so confused around her anymore. Maybe he wouldn't feel as if he was feeling _something_ alone.

"Éponine?" He called, and she looked up. When he didn't react to her response, she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"I am going to kiss you now."

"What?!" She hissed; her eyes wide open. Marius began to lean forward, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I am going to kiss you now." He repeated and Éponine flinched lightly as she felt his breath near her face.

"Again?"

"Again." He confirmed, and then he was kissing her. Again. And this time, Éponine let him.

* * *

**I am truly sorry about the wait, but things have been a little frantic around here and I didn't have the time to sit down and actually write. This is a short chapter, the shorter so far, and I apologize for that, but I'm couting that the cuteness held in here will stop you to hate me for being so short hahaha**

**Thank you a lot for reading, following, reviewing and stuff. It means the world to me :)**


End file.
